Re:Wanchai – Hong Kong International Artists' Workshop 2005 Opening Ceremony
Speech by Mr Ma Fung-kwok, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Date: 7 May, 2005 (Saturday), 6pm
Place: King Sing Street Open Space Area (near AiR Corner House, 245 Queen's Road East)

Dear Guests, Artists and Friends from the media,

It's my pleasure to attend the opening ceremony of Re:Wanchai – Hong Kong International Artists' Workshop 2005, and to share with art-lovers the results of 24 artists' creativity.

Wan Chai has evolved from a small fishing village and a tiny pier to a pluralistic cluster of residence, entertainment, culture and commerce. Due to the need for development, the reclamation of Wan Chai has been carried out in different stages, from the early focus on residence, to the "Suzie Wong" district under the shadow of Korean War, to the latest site for exhibition and convention, culture and education, and political ceremony. The ever-expansion witnesses the new and old outlooks of the city, and the historical development of Wan Chai, or even Hong Kong.

A sensible urban development should include renewal of old district. It is natural that the old Wan Chai is undergoing re-generation. The AiR Association, in response to the call of the community for preservation of collective memories, felt that arts should go beyond the conventional galleries and exhibition halls and serve the public by reflecting the social reality. To AiR, the community is a rich source of creativity. The result is now returned to the source.

AiR invited 12 artists from Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia and 12 artists from the local region – most of whom have been partners of HKADC – to trace the history and answer the community. The fifty-year-old building in Wan Chai became the home of creativity. During the two-week period of co-habitation, they explore the interaction between arts and the environment. The artists come from a diverse background in arts – architecture, painting, photography, ceramics, mix-media, flowing media, body movement and conceptual art. With their expertise, they respond to the society and close the gap between art workers and the community, allowing the local residents to experience arts first-handedly. In addition, the "buddy system" facilitates the residents' dialogue with the artists and their experience of how creative ideas are born and realized. In this way, their creative potential is nurtured. The residents, parents and students can also gain precious knowledge and wisdom beyond daily life and classroom.

With Wan Chai as a title and setting, the tie with the district's then and now is natural. The "Wedding Card Street", "Toy Street", "Food Street", "Tung Shing Cinema", the haunted house in "Nam Koo Terrance", "Club Fuji" are all historic and cultural landmarks; "bean sprouts picking", "hardware factory" and "shoe repairing" are fading businesses that once flourished in Wan Chai. Through "Re:Wanchai", the elder generation can go down the memory lane, while the younger can take a glace at the struggling path to prosperity Wan Chai and Hong Kong have gone through.

Apart from HKADC, the support for this large-scale community experiment also comes from Triangle Arts Trust and St James' Settlement. With the outstanding experience of these two organizations, as well as AiR's enthusiasm and effort, I believe this trip into the culture and history of the district will enhance the public knowledge and recognition of Wan Chai, and enable the residents to further consolidate their own cultural identities. On behalf of HKADC, I congratulate the success of the exhibition, and hope, through the project, the cultural exchange between Hong Kong and overseas will be deepened to the benefit of promoting the development of arts and culture. Thank You.